No Wasta No Job?

Wasta or wasata
(Arabic: وَاسِطة
wāsiṭah), is an Arabic word that
loosely translates into nepotism, favoritism, or 'who you know'. Yes, there’s
actually a Wikipedia article, in English. In other Wiki words, Wasta is an
attempt to use the influence of relatives or acquaintances to achieve certain
objectives.

No need to look for its translation
though as the word Wasta is used as it is in academic research, as per Dr.
Elizabeth SFEIR, Assistant Dean of the
Faculty of Business Administration and Head of Department – Management, who has
dedicated her PhD Thesis to it. Her eyes sparkle when the word is mentioned,
considering the time she has invested in developing a comprehensive study on
the matter, the pros and cons, and suggesting a model that can help the
recruiters and actually turn the Wasta into a positive concept.

Although the word seems to refer to a local and cultural thing amongst
us Lebanese people, it has its various equivalents around the world: “Guanxi”
in Chinese, “Blat” in Russian and so on. Indeed, favors seem to be needed quite
everywhere around the globe; to each its roots.

In Lebanon, Wasta goes back to the villagers who used to rely on the ra’iis
el baladiyyeh, the beik or the sheikh’s help in order to get
something done, whether quickly or better or ahead of others. It’s obviously a
cultural thing, but we can also blame the country’s rough political and
economical years which surely made it harder for an average Lebanese citizen to
make an honest living and protect his/her rights.

This word is pretty popular in the Lebanese vocabulary, for not so
cheerful reasons usually. Dr Sfeir expresses her sadness to hear some students
use the word as soon as they talk about their post-graduation plans and how
their hopes to find a job relate to their chances of having a Wasta. She also feels
very disappointed when students with poor academic performance get hired while excelling
ones stay at home waiting to start their career.

Wasta’s harmful effects naturally expend in the workplace where most
coworkers feel unmotivated and dissatisfied when one of their team got his job
thanks to a person of power in the company. It was evident when Dr. Sfeir
interviewed 20 employees part of her research, only to find that and merely 2
employees seemed unaffected by it. It also creates gossip and tension within a
team which results into a bad performance and lack of dedication to their job
duties; this behavior is quite justified when studies show that 1 out of 2
employees are hired out of wasta in Lebanon and job benefits are offered
accordingly – raise, promotion and other. Quite alarming! Isn’t it?

However, favoritism can truly be a positive thing if used responsibly:
this is what Dr. Sfeir would like to focus on through her study: she explains
that when used wisely, it helps one create a network, expose his/her professional
profile and allows qualified candidates to reach their dream jobs faster than the
traditional way. But what does wisely
truly mean? Dr. Sfeir developed a model, which she hopes to publish soon, on
how to use Wasta correctly in the workplace; amongst the requirements are: use
it clearly and kindly; follow specific standards and procedures; and give
strategic power to the HR department who has a crucial role is recruiting the
most qualified candidate for the job.

Sadly, the Lebanese labor laws have not been updated since 1943,
except for a few amendments; which leave room for a lot of reforms, introducing
new standards, new policies and new procedures, thus improving the hiring
systems in the country.

Dr. Elizabeth KASSAB SFEIR, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Head of Department - Management